Your feedback or comments are always
important but sometimes I receive similar questions and
cannot always respond to every individual email. You may
possibly see the answers to the most asked questions in
this department. Any other questions that might possibly
be, of a more technical nature, I may address in the
Library link. I DO read every email and as needed,
will update FAQ.
Q: What is Stop Motion Animation?
A: Stop Motion Animation uses
the same principles as drawn or cel animation
(cartoons).......a movie camera is used like a still
camera.....there are 24 different drawings
(which equals one second of movement) and the movie
camera shoots one frame (which is one picture) of film
for each drawing (in proper sequence).
With Stop Motion Animation, you have a small  puppet
(about the size of a Barbie doll)....inside this puppet
there is a custom machined jointed mini-skeleton (called
an "armature"), and it is covered with foam
rubber (the puppet skin). A person (the animator) moves
the puppet a little bit, then the camera shoots one still
picture of the puppet, the animator moves the puppet
again.....another still picture is taken.....this is
continually done until you get hundreds of still pictures
which were taken by the movie camera. When you run the
movie film in a projector, all the sequentially shot
still pictures of the puppet, gives the illusion that the
puppet is moving on it's own. I am sure many of you have
heard of or seen Celebrity Deathmatch, the Chevron
Talking Cars commercials, Nightmare Before
Christmas movie, and the original King Kong
is a very old classic using this animation
method.....also, the recent movie, Chicken Run
uses the stop motion animation method......using clay
heads & rubber puppet bodies. There are many other
examples of stop motion animation but too  numerous to mention here. Today,
much of animation is either cartoon or computer
animation, and unfortunately, Stop Motion Animation, is
somewhat like the "black outcast sheep" of the
animation "family". When stop motion is done
well, audiences really enjoy watching this
literally hands-on crafted animation method, but it is
now mostly rejected by mainstream Hollywood,
who are now "pushing" the"computer"
animated products onto the masses. Stop motion is used in
all sorts of ways from creatures/aliens or fantasy puppet
characters.....to cartoonish or stylized puppets. In the
USA, before all the current computer animation, the
"Godfather" of commercialized-type Stop Motion
in the entertainment movie business, was the incredible Ray
Harryhausen .... a
truly eclectic master of this animation art ..... a
filmmaker, technician, artist, animator, etc..... who was
a pioneer and used the Fantasy Genre as a
creative outlet for his hand-crafted animated
puppet creations & special effects (low budget but
lots of "bang for the buck"). I could go on and
on about Ray, but here are a couple of websites that will
do a much better job.....TheSeventhVoyage.com and The Fantastic Films of Ray
Harryhausen
______________________________________________________________________________
Q: If everything in animation
is Moving,
then why is it called STOP Motion
Animation?
A: "Stop Motion" is
indeed an arcane or odd description/name
that we got stuck with
from the earliest historical days of Cinema.
From Puppets & People (image)...."In
the early days of filmmaking, the term Stop
Motion applied to a broad
range of Special Effects.
Substituitions and abrupt disapearances were accomplished
just by stopping the
camera, making the appropriate changes in the scene, and
starting the camera again".
Here is a more complete definition from The Complete Film
Dictionary
.... Stop Motion Photography ....
Any cinematic
technique that utilizes the constant Stopping
& Starting of the camera to allow for a
change in the subject during the interval the camera is not
shooting (in the Stopped mode) which
will produce some effect when the printed film is
projected continuously. There are five basic kinds of
Stop-motion photography:
1. When single frames
are snapped over a period of time to record a process
with lengthy pauses between shots, when the frames are
shown at regular speed the process that was being
recorded occurs rapidly. This is time-lapse
photography. When Disney used it during the
1950's and early 1960's in such documentaries as The
Living Desert blossoming flowers turned into a
floral ballet.
2. Méliès'
transforming bus falls into the second category, where
the camera is stopped, the scene is changed, perhaps by
the removal of an object or actor, and filming resumes.
When the film is run, the object or actor seems to
disappear.
3. Another way to use
stop-motion involves stopping the camera at various
points in a scene, advancing the action and turning the
camera back on. An actor will then appear to pop in and
out of existence, each time at a different place.
4. The fourth effect
provided by stop-motion is known as pixillation.
By shooting objects or people one frame at a time or by
removing frames from a filmed scene, the action in the
scene appears jerky and quick. The infamous eating scene
in Tom Jones is a prime example of this effect.
5. When most
people hear Stop-Motion, they think of
this final category: A flexible
model (the Puppet) is filmed in short segments of one or more
frames and is moved slightly between each shoot. When the
film is run through the movie projector at the speed of
24 frames per second (video = 30 frames per sec), the
model appears to move. The smaller the incremental
changes, the more natural the movement. Apply the process
to a series of drawings and you have The
Lion King (as an example).
LIO
Comment: The 2D
hand drawn animation industry (aka cel
animation / cartoons) does
not call their animation technique, Stop
Motion, even though, by pure 'Technical'
definition, one could classify it in Stop Motion
category. Also, Stop Motion has had different
names such as .... Puppet Animation,
Model Animation, Stop Action Animation, Dimensional
Animation, Stop Frame Animation, and Stop
Motion Photography. Other Stop Motion
sub-categories: The more popularly known,
Clay Animation; then there is the lesser known,
Replacement Animation, Object Animation & Cut-Out
Animation. Am I confusing you?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Q: Okay, I am really interested in
Stop Motion Animation but I do not have much money and I
also need free information about Stop Motion. How do I
get started?
A: What you think is a simple
question that might have a simple response, actually
would require biblical sized answers! If you do
not remember the early days of stop motion animation
(without computers) then it is difficult to explain all
the details  & steps required for this
unique animation art form that does not rely on mouse
clicking computer methods. Stop Motion is
hands-on where you actually build things, objects, etc.
Where do you start? Well, reading this FAQ
is a good beginning. This website is small, so take the
time to look at all the pages and links (do a little bit
each day). After reading questions & answers here.
Read this commentary (bottom of that page). After that
go to WorkShop and read more of my commentary and you will
find some links with free information that is about stop
motion or other arts, crafts and skills. Remember, not
all information is free. You will also need to get
some books which you will find at Books link. You spend money on
your cell phones, dvds, music cds, so you can certainly
afford some books? BUY THEM .... IT WILL
SAVE YOU LEARNING TIME. Most of the books are
not related to Stop Motion but cover other crafts or
methods that are applicable to Stop Motion production. I
am sorry to say that there is not a single book that can
explain or that covers all areas of Stop Motion. You
have to be a detective and do research and learn
what you think, you need to know. Everyone has different
levels of skills and proficiency. Stop motion like other
hobbies does cost money and if that is a
big issue for you, then get a job and start saving your
cash. Also, at first think simple and take
baby steps. Many beginners,
have ambitious plans to create Stop Motion masterpieces
but their projects never go anywhere because they are so
overwhelmed by all the steps and complexities of Stop
Motion.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Q: Can I get a job or make a career in
Stop Motion Animation? Also, I do not see much Stop
Motion..... Why is that?
A: Well.... at this time, as a
"career", I am not so sure. Stop Motion is
still being used in smaller media markets but not in
motion pictures (very rare now). You might see major stop
motion works from outside the USA ......like Aardman
Animation from Engla nd. With the onslaught of CGI
computer animation, stop motion seems to have been
put on the backburner. With computer animation, it is
more of an assembly line production in which the
"director" (usually not an animator) can
request constant changes or revisions to the
computer animation. People working in computer animation
do very specific job functions. With Stop Motion,
animators sometimes serve a more key role,
almost like an animator-actor-director. Also,
the process of animating stop motion is more like a Live
Theater Performance.... the animated results can be
edgey, snappy, spontaneous or very surreal ..... the
results more organic and reflecting nuances of the
animator's style & personality (not filtered through
the computer). Usually, film directors want to be in
absolute control of every minor detail. With Stop Motion,
a director may need to relinquish some of his ego and
control to the stop motion animator . A director who
really understands the stop motion process,
allows these spontaneous and unpredictable things to
happen .....it is not as rigid as a computer animated
production. A Stop Motion production uses many of the
traditional arts, crafts, and skills ..... it is not easy
to quickly assemble a crew with those unique
talents. With computer animation......there is a plethora
of technicians to choose from. In mainstream work to day, studios have now created a
hyper-pressure atmosphere to pump-out the animation
and/or special effects in severely short
production schedules. With quality Stop Motion work, one
cannot rush it. Stop Moiton has always had a checkered
existence and as I stated above in the FAQ here, stop
motion was never fully embraced by the mainstream
entertainment business. I AM NOT criticizing CGI
animation or digital special effects. My main complaint
only, is that other methods or approaches are
perhaps being shut-out or excluded by mainstream
moviemakers ..... computers seems to be the panacea
to them. Computers ARE incredible tools but maybe used as
a crutch? I sometimes say "Less is More", and
first priority is to tell a good story with good
characters. Sooooo, my advice for now, "Keep
your day job".
______________________________________________________________________________
Q: Can you recommend or offer any tips
or advice on how I can record or film stop motion? Oh, I
forgot to tell you...... I do not have much money.
A : Yes. I can give you a general idea
and wrote some comments at this link, Filming your Stop Motion Animations. Many inquiries that I receive,
also say...... "cannot afford to spend much".
Well, if it is a hobby you enjoy, there usually
is a monetary investment. Compared to years ago,
computers, hardware, software programs, etc., are getting
more affordable today, so "money" should not be
an issue. Selection of cameras might be an exception.
Middle range to more expensive cameras can be somewhat of
an investment $$. Before you purchase it, research
carefully to be sure it will be compatible
with your other animation software, hardware and
components. As I previously stated in FAQ here, beginners
get over-excited and immediately want to create
Stop Motion epics on a shoestring budget. Also, as you
have heard me say before, take baby steps
first .... you can even use a WebCam to just initially
practice Stop Motion.
______________________________________________________________________________
A: What is the cost of a stop motion puppet
and/or the jointed armature?
Q: You should know, that armatures are CUSTOM
machined and crafted. Off-the-shelf
armature parts are not usually available at Walmart.
Some are now offering online ..... armature parts or kits
which can vary in quality. The average person-consumer
will need to learn some specialty skills
such as brazing and have some degree of manual dexterity
in assembling the armatures and working with tools. Stop
Motion is not a huge market, where an
armature company can mass produce them and generate
profits. What I am trying to say, a reasonably good
armature can be somewhat expensive for the general
consumer, however, in the "business"
for professional use, these prices are moderate.
I can tell you, a custom made commissioned
armature can be from maybe $500. to a
few thousand $ (USD). Then there is the additional
cost of making the puppet
(covering with rubber, clothes, sculpting, moldmaking,
etc.). There are alternatives and if one is self-motivated
and dedicated, you can attempt and learn
 how to build armatures, but not much
information is available about that. There is a book, Stop-Motion Armature Machining, but if you are not the
gadgeteering-type or if you never attempted metalworking
& machining techniques, these methods may be difficult
for beginners. A company called Armaverse sells very low cost armatures & parts,
adequate for beginners but may not be suitable for
complex or very customized puppet designs. I did write
some brief instructions about some general, maybe easier
methods of armature construction .... in WorkShop you will see my articles. Here is free
online tutorial Do-It-Yourself Brass-based
Armatures which
does not require too much equipment. Remember "Baby
Steps"? Here is a free downloadable Word document
that gives an overview of Puppet Construction (just text/no photos). If you are
budgetally challenged .... maybe Animation Supplies. For just practicing
hands-on animation, you might try using these, Loc-Line Doll Armatures..... they need to be modified by
adding feet, hands & head, then you can practice
animate the bare armature/maniken (without skin or
clothes). Also, read the Stop Motion message board Handbook which provides overview information about
general Stop Motion production.
______________________________________________________________________________
Q: I went to your "Contact"
page and have emailed Stop Motion Works some questions, but I did not receive a
reply? Do you not answer your email?
A: I READ ALL the emails .....this
web site is something I do on my own, in my spare time.
Sometimes the questions I receive are already addressed
or answered in my web site. This web site is small in
size but you can also use Stop Motion Works Search. I DO answer many
of the emails if there is perhaps additional information
that is not on this site. I always like
to hear your general feedback or comments what you think
of Stop Motion Works.
______________________________________________________________________________
Q: Can you tell me how many birthdays
I have had?
A: Yes. ONE. The rest were
anniversaries.
SO ..... YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS?
Q: I am writing a paper and I was
wondering if you can send me information about Stop
Motion and also the history of it?
A: NO .... I will NOT. Above
question is only an example. I also get asked,
"What do I need to get started in Stop Motion?",
and other similar, very vague or too
general questions. You have a Search feature for this website
and also a Site Map. This is not a big website. If it
is a specific question where the information may not be
here at Stop Motion Works, if time permits, I most likely
will answer it. Again .... I do read all comments
sent to Stop Motion Works. Here is a statement
from another Webmaster who also has an
informational website:
"
Other webmasters I've talked to have said that this is a
common problem with running an informational page: You
put in hours as a labor of love and some people will
expect you to put in more unpaid time and become their
personal research assistant. And I've been told that the
abusive tone of some of these emails is also sadly
common. What some people see as a "snotty" tone
in this page, I see as firmly defining the boundaries of
what I will and will not do. The majority of people I
hear from are kind and delightful, and they are the ones
I happily do this page for. But the Internet brings you
into contact with all types of people, and for a certain
type of person, you have to be firm. I know, of course,
that YOU are certainly not that type of person, so I
thank you for understanding my position."
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